Recipe by Category

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Taking a cue from the classic Black Forest Cake, this shot glass dessert is all you need to wow your guests for any party!!

Who doesn't like Black Forest cake? Those layers of cream between rich chocolate cake? And the tart cherry jam in between and sweet cherries on top? The combination that was once the most popular is slowly losing ground to the more innovative flavors and modern decorations. However, for the vast majority of people, Black Forest still remains a personal favorite.

I have had these mini glasses of black forest cake sundae on my mind for a long time. So when Valli chose the theme for this month as shot glass desserts, I simply HAD to make this one. Crumbled chocolate cake interleaved with vanilla ice-cream and freshly made cherry jam, and finally topped with a vanilla cream and cherry.

This dessert is all you need to wow your guests this holiday season or enforce portion control on your family! Because when it comes to cake, portions go totally haywire. I devised a recipe for a Cake for Two sometime back and now I made this dessert. So much to do just to keep the portion size in check!

Coming to the recipe, I made this one in a jiffy just before I left for my vacation a couple of weeks ago. I made a few of these yummy chocolate cupcakes for a party and had a couple leftover. Plus, I always have vanilla ice-cream and whipping cream in my refrigerator. You never know when you might need something amazing, right? So all that came together and I had these cups ready in no time. Plus, I had the cherry jam I made not long ago.

VariationsFor this recipe I made the cake from scratch for this recipe. However, if you have any store bought chocolate cake, you can use that. I made the layers more or less even but if you like either cake or ice-cream more than the other, you may choose to change the proportions. The whipping cream on top is from a can, but it is really easy to whip some cream with vanilla extract and use it too. Plus, I used home-made cherry jam but any store bought works well too. Adding the cherry on top is optional but highly recommended. All together this dessert is totally yummy and addictive. It was difficult to stop at one glass the day I made these!!

MethodMake the chocolate cake as per this recipe (or this if you prefer your cake eggless). Crumble it and set aside. To assemble the dessert, take 2 glasses. Add some cake to the glass, then ice-cream. Add some cherry jam on the other side. Add some chopped cherries and then add another layer of chocolate cake and ice-cream. Top with a little whipped cream. Finally add a couple of cherries on top and serve.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Today is day 1 of this week's Blogging Marathon and my theme for this week is desserts in shot glasses. I loved this theme and had so much fun making three tiny desserts for this theme. First up is one of my favorite desserts; falooda just reinvented to make perfect shots.

A blend of milk, rose syrup, vanilla ice cream and other ingredients of choice, this one is an Indian classic. Most restaurants have it on their menu and people of all ages LOVE it. What was once only available in a couple of flavors like kesar and rose has now expanded to all sorts of flavors based on different nuts and fruits. However, the classic Royal Falooda is still served with rose syrup and has not undergone many changes over the years.

A very famous joint for Falooda in Mumbai is the Crawford Market based Badshah Falooda. They serve their signature faloodas in tall glasses made from thick glass and the quantity is enough for one really hungry soul. Based on that and various other restaurant's flavors a lot of companies now have their own falooda mixes. The mix contains basil seeds, falooda sev, sugar, nuts and tutti frutti. One has to add just milk and ice cream to make the falooda.

We generally find the sugar content too high for our liking. And nothing beats a glass of chilled falooda made from scratch. As the drink has just a few ingredients and needs a couple of minutes to assemble, we now make it from scratch. The taste is unparalleled and the flavors awesome!

I have listed the ingredients and the method for a simple Rose falooda. The basic ingredients are milk, rose syrup, ice cream, falooda sev and basil seeds. The remaining ingredients like nuts, rose petals and tutti frutti can be changed as per preference. Add the ones you like and leave out the rest. The result will be yummy falooda shots perfect for any party. The size is perfect for one person and once the ingredients are ready, it takes under 2 minutes to whip up this awesome dessert.

Ingredients

Milk 2 cups

Basil Seeds 2 tsp

Falooda Sev a handful of strands

Rose Syrup 2 tsp

Vanilla Ice Cream 2 scoops

Tutti Frutti 1 tsp

Mixed nuts 1 tsp

Rose petals a few

Method

In a pan filled with 1 cup boiling water, place the sev. Cook till soft and translucent. Drain the water and set aside the sev. Soak the basil seeds in water till they bloom and become transparent. Drain water and set aside.

In two cutting glasses or shot glasses, add a tsp of rose syrup each. Divide the basil seeds and falooda sev between the glasses. Slowly add the ice cream and top with milk such that the rose syrup does not get disturbed.

We are coming to the end of November and it time to enjoy the winter bounty of fruits and vegetables. Plus, it is time for Thanksgiving and everyone is busy preparing a list of items they will make for the BIG day! Brussel Sprouts are in season and I cannot get enough of the green colored beauties. We love our sprouts in salads, stews and even as part of our Indian curries. Though I have used them quite a bit in the kitchen, this is the first time I am adding them to the blog. That is primarily because I saute them and we quickly finish the platter, having no time to click pictures!

This time as part of the Secret Recipe Club the recipe has finally made it to the blog. For those who do not know about SRC, it is a recipe sharing club. We have a hostess, mine happens to be Sarah, who blogs at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. She assigns each person a blog from one of the other participants. You have to select a recipe from their blog and post it on the reveal day.

Today the blog assigned to me is Cook with Sara by Sara. It is a great blog with TONS of recipes. I saw the recipe index on the blog and found a lot of dishes pretty interesting. However, given that Brussel Sprouts are in season and I love to make recipes with them, I chose this one.

The ingredients needed for this one are pretty straightforward: Brussel Sprouts, Garlic, butter and salt to taste. However, I added some pine nuts for added crunch. The result was spectacular, partly because of the garlic butter that went into the sprouts and partly because of the crunchy nuts and fresh brussels. I made it for dinner last week and as expected, I could barely finish shooting before we were ready to devour it. The whole recipe takes only 5-7 minutes and no prep time as such. However, the result is perfect and the sprouts are super tempting.

For those who LOVE garlic, this one is to die for! The strong garlic flavor infused in olive oil and butter gets transferred into the brussel sprouts so well. I used the jumbo cloves from Gilroy and my, the flavors were to die for! If you ever happen to be near the Bay Area, do visit Gilroy. You know you have arrived when the air smells of garlic and you see truckloads being transported almost all the time. They have a strong garlic breed that is perfect for all garlic lovers. Even if you do not have that garlic, the taste will still be great. Do try this quick recipe and do not forget to leave a line at the bottom of the post about how you liked the recipe.

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts 16-18

Olive Oil 1 tbsp

Butter 1 tbsp

Garlic 3-4 cloves, smashed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pine Nuts to top

Method

Slice the Brussel Sprouts into two and set aside. In a wide pan heat oil and butter. Add the garlic and saute till crisp and caramelized. Remove the garlic and set aside.

In the same oil butter mixture, add the brussel sprouts cut side down and cook till they are brown on the bottom and can be pierced with a fork. It takes about 10-12 minutes on medium flame. Do not stir them while cooking.

Season with salt and pepper. Add back the garlic pieces and sprinkle pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Friday, November 18, 2016

This is the last Thali in the series for this month. I posted two other Thalis; The Gujarati Thali and Indo-Chinese Thali over the last few days. This one is a little from both those. And yes, this is pretty elaborate compared to the previous two. Hope you enjoy this one!

For the longest time Parsi Community has been a small community in India with their rich culture, heritage and food. Except the Irani Cafes their food never reached the masses. But lately the entire scene has changed. With TONS of Parsi eateries starting all over Mumbai and other cities, now the flavorful cuisine is becoming mainstream! From the Paneer Akuri to the Dal and Dhanshak, we now can relish all Parsi dishes at famous restaurants. It is wonderful to see how these places picked the cuisine and made it interesting to serve and enjoy while preserving their culture. If you happen to be the famous Soda Bottle Openerwalla, you will definitely relate to what I am saying! Coming to the Thali, I have had a fancy for this cuisine since a while. I posted my mother in law's recipe for Dhanshak and brown rice a few days ago. Picking up from there, here is an elaborate Thali from the Parsi world. The beauty of this one is that it is a Vegetarian Thali.

The general belief is that Parsi food is only non vegetarian. However, it is interesting to note they have TONS of vegetarian recipes that are super amazing. A couple of them I have modified to make vegetarian, but most are originally vegetarian. On today's ThaliThis platter has everything from farsan (savory starter) and mishtan (sweet dish) to Dal and curries. There is also a dry vegetable, salad and the very famous Parsi drink. All in all, we had food enough for four meals on the day that I made this one!

Paneer AkuriAn awesome combination of shredded paneer with onion, tomato and spices. Served with bread, this one is made from scratch and super delicious. Potato Cheese CutletsCutlets made from potato and spices, with a molten cheese centre. These rounds are to die for!Vegetarian DhanshakA medley of mixed vegetables and pulses, this Dhanshak is a vegetarian take on Parsi's signature Dhanshak. Served with toasted bread or caramelized rice this one is super awesome.Parsi DalA very humble dal that is not super spicy but full of flavor. This Parsi dal has caramelized onions on top that make it amazing. Baingan Shimla Mirch SalanI saw this combination on a blog (will post complete recipe and the blog soon) and was blown away. Two favorites; pepper and brinjals in one! I HAD to make this dry vegetable for the Thali.RotliThe thin rotis that make a perfect accompaniment for salan, dhanshak and akuri.BreadSlices of bread perfectly toasted and served with akuri. The bread can be made from scratch or bought from the store. Caramelized RiceA must-have with dhanshak, this onion based rice is so easy to make and yet so flavorful.RavoThe Parsi version of Sheera, this semolina based dessert has become my favorite ever since I made it the first time.Mawa CakeWhat's a Parsi platter without Mawa cake? Cupcakes made with clotted milk, these are super delicious and easy to make. KachumbarParsi's signature blend of raw vegetables, salt pepper and vinegar. Try this vinegar based salad with any dish. It tastes just as good!IngredientsCucumber 1 medium, dicedCarrot 1 medium, dicedOnion 1/2 medium, dicedTomato 1/2 medium, dicedVinegar 1/2 tspSalt and pepper to tasteCilantro to topMethodIn a bowl mix together the diced vegetables. Add vinegar, salt and pepper. toss well and serve topped with cilantro. You may also add crushed cumin if you like in this kachumbar.FaloodaGlasses filled with rose syrup, milk, thin falooda sev, basil seeds and ice cream. Oh-my, this was a perfect finish to my Thali!

Hope you all enjoyed the Thali series. Do leave a feedback at the end of the post! And come back for yet another theme with some amazing recipes.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiveThanksBeFull #CollectiveBiasThanksgiving is around the corner and it is time to reinvent the Green Bean Casserole. This lightened pizza made from puff pastry and green bean filling is perfect for any of your Friendsgiving dinner from now until the big day.

The Friendsgiving dinner season is almost here and everyone is getting busy making their menu. Green Bean Casserole is a must-have on the table but it gets pretty boring to keep making it the same way each year. This recipe comes handy when you are in a rush and do not want to spend a lot of time cooking. Using store bought puff pastry, Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup, Del Monte® Blue Lake® Cut Green Beans and French’s Crispy Onions; this pizza is super easy to make.

I was jotting down the items to make for this weekend's dinner. On my list was a new version of the Casserole. I stepped into Target to get all the ingredients for the dish. On my list was green beans and mushroom soup. I picked up a can of Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup. It's easy to use Campbell's soups to add your own twist and favorite garnishes to make it special for the family. Plus, I got Del Monte® Blue Lake® Cut Green Beans. Del Monte canned vegetables are high quality, delicious and perfect for your holiday table.

Once you have all the ingredients, making this pizza is super simple. Ready in under 50 minutes with just 10 ingredients, this puff pastry based pizza is sure to impress all your guests. I made just one puff and regretted it deeply. It was so delicious and we were craving another serving almost immediately. What I liked best about this one is that the amount of filling made using one can each of the beans and the soup is perfect for one pizza. So no leftovers and no wastage. Just pop open the cans, make the filling and the pizza. Serve immediately and surprise your guests. I can bet your friends will definitely exclaim: 'Is this made from canned vegetables, I can't believe it!' Enjoy this pizza and have a great Friendsgiving!

Ingredients

Puff Pastry 1 sheet

Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 can 10.5 oz

Del Monte® Blue Lake® Cut Green Beans 14.5 oz

Garlic 2 cloves

Fresh Mushrooms 1 cup

Mozzarella Cheese 1/2 cup

Olive Oil 1 tsp

Salt to taste

French’s Crispy Onions to top

Method

Thaw the puff pastry as per package instructions. Mince the garlic and chop the mushrooms.

In a pan heat olive oil and add garlic. Once it browns, add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add drained Green Beans and mix well. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

Now add the Cream of Mushroom Soup and season with salt. Mix well and let it become thick. It takes about 4-5 minutes to get the right consistency. Turn down the flame and cool.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out the puff pastry and poke it with a fork. Leave out an inch on all four sides to get a nice crust. Pour the green bean mixture and spread it evenly on the pastry sheet. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, till the cheese has melted and the pastry is light brown in color. Remove, top with French’s Crispy Onions and serve immediately with tomato ketchup.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

I posted an Indo-Chinese Thali earlier today. An essential part of the platter was Hakka Noodles. A non-spicy version of the famous Indo-Chinese noodles, this one is full of mixed vegetables and mild flavors.

If you are also like me, one who loves Indo-Chinese food; you would know there is no set recipe for this dish. Depending on which restaurant you try this at, there will be different vegetables in the noodles. Some add french beans, some baby corn and some add the colored peppers. Few leave out mushrooms or broccoli and some just add basic vegetables like carrots, cabbage and french beans. However, based on the condiments added, the noodles vary in color from white to dark brown. However, I LOVE all the versions of the noodles.

Not only do we enjoy these in the restaurant, we enjoy the noodles at home too. Just like the restaurants, I make small modifications to the vegetables or sauces to change the flavor at home. It is generally dictated by the availability of the vegetables in the refrigerator! However, to make the noodles for this Thali, I decided to stick to the most generic recipe I have had in various places. So in went carrots, french beans and cabbage. I left out broccoli, cauliflower and baby corn. However, I had a few mushrooms, so added them. Leave them out if you are not a fan of the shrooms.

The noodles are one of the simplest Indo-Chinese dishes to whip up. It only needs a few steps. Boil the noodles as per package instructions. Make sure they are not mushy. Then saute the vegetables. Finally add all the sauces, stir it together and serve with any of the main course dishes likeTofu in Chili Garlic Sauce, Babycorn Chili, Orange Tofu or Vegetable coins in Hot garlic sauce. Though you can serve it with any main course, I enjoy the noodles by themselves too. I can easily devour a couple of bowls even without a main course. Do read this and check out the entire thali here.

Heat water in a large saucepan. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Once al-dente, drain the noodles and put them in a saucepan. Sprinkle little oil on them and mix well, to ensure they do not stick. Heat oils in a wok or thick bottom saucepan that is wide. Add the pepper and onion. Mix well and add carrots, mushroom and french beans. Cook on high flame for 2-3 minutes and mix well.

The first Thali I posted was the Gujarati Thali. Today, I am posting another Thali. This one happens to be my FAVORITE cuisine! For those who follow the blog, you would definitely know how much I enjoy making Indian Chinese food. And when Valli announced the theme for this BM as Thali, I wanted to include this one for sure.

For the longest time we have all imagined Thali to be JUST Indian food. However, with time many restaurants now have a variety of non-Indian thalis, including Chinese, Thai, Mexican and Mediterranean. Diving into the definition of a Thali, it would be any combination of dishes that come together perfectly and can be served as a complete meal. Generally made up of various elements like carbs, fats and fibre; the elements should have flavors ranging from sweet and salty to spicy and sour.

When I thought of making an Indo-Chinese Thali, I was fairly confident of the elements I would include to complete the meal. When I finally made it, I was pretty happy with the result. From soup, salad and starters to rice, noodles and curry; this Thali has it all. While there is no bread like other traditional thalis, this one has noodles to make up for it. With that and a few other substitutions like soup for dal, schezwan sauce for pickle and Kimchi for a traditional salad, I managed to make a complete Indo-Chinese meal and we loved it! Hope you all enjoy this one too!

In a bowl mix together all the ingredients except cabbage and spring onions. Mix well and add water if needed. Put the diced cabbage in a wide bowl and pour the mixture. Mix well and top with spring onion greens. Store in an airtight bottle till ready to use.

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